


Some more appropriate responses in Half-Blood Prince

by S A G (setgree)



Series: Smart Harry Potter acting sensibly throughout the books [3]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: rationality
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-30 13:42:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,730
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10164239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/setgree/pseuds/S%20A%20G
Summary: Scene 1: Harry and company are in Snape's very first Dark Arts class.Scene 2: Harry discusses collaborating with Minister Scrimgeour.Scene 3: Many appropriate points.Scene 4: Harry encounters Malfoy pouring his heart out to Moaning Myrtle.





	

Scene 1:

"Ron, who was supposed to be jinxing Harry, was purple in the face, his lips tightly compressed to save himself from the temptation of muttering the incantation. Harry had his wand raised, waiting on tenterhooks to repel a jinx that seemed unlikely ever to come.

“Pathetic, Weasley,” said Snape, after a while. “Here — let me show you —”

He turned his wand on Harry so fast that Harry reacted instinctively; all thought of nonverbal spells forgotten, he yelled, “ _Protego_!”"

 _Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_ , pp. 179-180

>>>>

Snape was knocked to the ground, much more forcefully than Harry would have expected. Only then did he notice that Hermione, Parvati, and Neville had all raised shield charms simultaneously with him. The three of them fanned out to surround the man, who was still on the floor, with their wands raised. Snape froze.

"New rules, Professor," Neville said. "You don't make any sudden moves on any student. And that goes triple for Harry. You make us feel like Harry's in danger, and we'll put you down. You retaliate in any way, we'll tell the _Daily Prophet_ you bear the Dark Mark and have been seen, recently and often, in the company of Death Eaters. My grandmother knows Minister Scrimgeour personally, it'll be freaking easy to get you out of the picture."

"Having said that," Hermione said, "Professor, this was still a very good class, and we appreciate the careful pedagogy that appears to have gone into it. All of us intend to remain your students. But you're a legitimate threat, Professor, and we're going to start treating you like it."

"And," Parvati said, "for what it's worth, you did take a cursed position, so odds are, something's gonna get you. Might as well be us."

"You freaking asshole," Hermoine muttered.

>>>>

Scene 2:

"...Well, anyway,” he pressed on, without waiting for a reply, “the point is, you are a symbol of hope for many, Harry. The idea that there is somebody out there who might be able, who might even be destined, to destroy He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named — well, naturally, it gives people a lift. And I can’t help but feel that, once you realize this, you might consider it, well, almost a duty, to stand alongside the Ministry, and give everyone a boost.”

(...)

“I don’t exactly understand what you want,” said Harry slowly. “ ‘Stand alongside the Ministry’ . . . What does that mean?”

“Oh, well, nothing at all onerous, I assure you,” said Scrimgeour. “If you were to be seen popping in and out of the Ministry from time to time, for instance, that would give the right impression. And of course, while you were there, you would have ample opportunity to speak to Gawain Robards, my successor as Head of the Auror office. Dolores Umbridge has told me that you cherish an ambition to become an Auror. Well, that could be arranged very easily. . . .”"

 _Half-Blood Prince_ , p. 345

>>>>

"Oh, ok, I get it," Harry said. "You're looking for opportunities for collaborative propaganda."

"I would not quite put it that way, Mr. Potter."

"Yes Minister," Harry said, smiling only a little. "Anyway, I'm definitely open to that. But my question for you is, how open are you to negotiating?"

"Excuse me, young man?"

Well, Minister, right now it looks like I'm in a really good position politically, and you, given that you've come here, aren't so sure of your own. Hooking me up at the Auror's office is a nice opening bid, thank you. But to put it plainly, I'm worried that associating with you will really drag my brand down. For starters, Dolores Umbridge credibly threatened to use the cruciatus curse on me and fellow students last year, and the fact that she's still employed by you and not in a freaking jail cell suggests some serious personnel problems. So, you know, if we're going to work together, I'd like an auditor to take a look at that. Second, I read that Stan Shunpike is in jail, which makes me think that you're all about law-and-order bullshit but not so keen on the actual rule of law. And, seeing as how I'm the leading figure in the Voldermort opposition, I can't abide by that."

"So, at the very least, we're going to need two auditors, one for hiring and one for legal matters. If you want my help, I advise you to select folks for those roles, people good reps who are not currently employed by the Ministry, and when Dumbledore and I see evidence of improvement, we'll discuss whether it makes sense to work with you. How's that sound?"

Scrimgeour looked about ready to blow a gasket.

"Go ahead, try something," Harry said. "I'm quite possibly the most beloved wizard on Earth. Well, I'm a strong contender anyway. If you're lucky, it will merely be the end of your career."

>>>>

Scene 3:

"Hey Hermione," Harry said. "Is Ginny seeing anyone?"

"I don't think so," Hermione said. "Why?"

"Well I think she's really great and I want to ask her out."

"Why don't you then?"

"I'm worried Ron won't like it."

"Ron's an idiot. He has nothing in common with his girlfriend or makeout-buddy or whatever, he's in it 100% for the status of being seen with her. And he can't think of his sister as autonomous because he's misogynist. Fuck him. Fred and George too." 

"Hmm. I'm kind of surprised to hear you think that. I thought you had a thing for him."

"I have, I mean he has endearing qualities and all, and honestly the rest of you aren't such great catches. But no, I've changed my tune on Ron. He's not just immature, there's something really wrong with him, probably will be all his life. I used to think Krum was better, but I'm way too young for him. Red flag, super creepy. Anyway, you and Ginny -- she'll probably say yes, she's been into you since she was a kid. Also she looks just like your mom. It's pretty weird, Harry."

"Yeah, I noticed that," Harry said. "So do you think I shouldn't ask her out?"

"No, go for it, you're 16, who cares? It's not marriage. But buddy, at some point, you probably should see, like, a therapist."

"Yeah, first thing after we kill Voldermort, we can both go."

"Deal."

Later that day, Harry asked Ginny if she'd like to go on a date with him some time.

"I'd like that, Harry," she said. "But what about Ron?"

"That's just what I asked Hermione," Harry said. "She said: 'Ron's an idiot. Fuck him.'"

"He sure is. All right, I look forward to it."

>>>>

Scene 4:

"“No one can help me,” said Malfoy. His whole body was shaking.

“I can’t do it. . . . I can’t. . . . It won’t work . . . and unless I do it soon . . . he says he’ll kill me. . . .”

And Harry realized, with a shock so huge it seemed to root him to the spot, that Malfoy was crying — actually crying — tears streaming down his pale face into the grimy basin. Malfoy gasped and gulped and then, with a great shudder, looked up into the cracked mirror and saw Harry staring at him over his shoulder.

Malfoy wheeled around, drawing his wand. Instinctively, Harry pulled out his own. Malfoy’s hex missed Harry by inches, shattering the lamp on the wall beside him; Harry threw himself sideways..."

 _Half-Blood Prince_ , p. 522

>>>>

and shouted " _Protego_!", but Malfoy countered with " _Crucio_!", shattering Harry's shield and splintering the wall where he had been a moment ago.

And that was when Harry had a bright idea.

"No! Draco, don't hurt me!" Harry whimpered, with his arms covering his head.

Draco took the bait. " _Crucio_!" he said, and the spell hit Harry dead-on. It hurt, Harry thought, somewhat more than when he broke his arm in a Year 2 Quidditch match, but considerably less than when Voldermort had performed the same curse on him in Year 4. Nevertheless, Harry collapsed to his hands and knees, panting and sobbing. 

Draco did not react immediately. Harry did not dare look up at him, but in a few seconds, Draco cautiously approached, and leaned down to inspect Harry's injuries.

"Potter, I --" 

Harry punched Draco squarely in the groin. As Draco took in air sharply and buckled down, Harry rolled onto his back and kicked Draco under the chin. Draco sailed back and hit his head on a granite counter. His eyes went out of focus as he hit the ground. Harry grabbed Draco's wand where it had fallen in the scuffle and faced his opponent.

"Dude," Harry said, "you are so stupid it's crazy. You remember why those curses are called unforgivable, right? Because using them leads to a  _lifetime in Azkaban_?"

With that, Harry turned and ran. The first teacher he encountered was Flitwick. Harry told him that Draco Malfoy had intentionally used an unforgivable curse on him, that he would happily testify to that under verisaterum, that he had managed to acquire Draco's wand and so a simple  _priori incantatem_ would confirm this, and that he didn't feel safe in the school until Malfoy was put under armed guard. That evening, Draco was escorted out of the school by a team of Aurors. 

Soon thereafter, Dumbledore invited Harry to his office to discuss the matter.

"You don't know what you've done, Harry," Dumbledore said quietly.

"I removed an adversary from the board, for the time being, Professor," Harry said. "Is there more to the story?"

"Indeed there is," Dumbledore said. Dumbledore then explained to Harry that he had known all along that Draco had been tasked with killing Dumbledore as punishment for his father's mistakes, that Voldermort did not expect him to succeed, and that now, Draco was likely beyond all redemption.

"Do you think Draco was behind the attacks on Ron and Katie Bell?"

"That seems likely."

"I see," Harry said. "Ok, so, what I'd say to that is...I'm sorry, but what the hell were you thinking? Professor, Ron and Katie survived by sheer luck, if I hadn't been there, Ron definitely would have died. So yeah, it seems like the best explanation for everything is that you're actually crazy. i'm gonna go now." 

"I can see why you think that, Harry," Dumbledore said, without rancor. "But before you leave, perhaps an explanation is in order. You see, Harry, there are three powerful artifacts called the Deathly Hallows..." 


End file.
